Transfer game



swim

March 20, 1956 L. s. DALTON 2,738,979

TRANSFER GAME Filed March 23, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jWVENTOR LAWRENCE S.DALTON) :lBY #QMQMM WHEY March 20, 1956 L. s. DALTON 2,738,979

TRANSFER GAME Filed March 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 34 37 23 as so 5 :[LNVENTOR. LAWRENCE S. DALTON,

1 was mNEY Unite tate. Paten 7 I TRANSFER GAME? I f aw nce swims,Indianapolis, ma. f kApplicationMarch 23, 1954, Serial No. 418,084

: I 1 Clairn. ,(Cl.27 3-, -132) f This invention relates to a game whichmight be: called a geometric progressive puzzle wherein the objectis tomove a stack of discs from one post to another post, moving only onedisc at a time, and without placing a larger disc on a smaller disc.Where ten discs are employed, there will be a minimum of. 1023 moves.'The' invention involves a structure comprising a base largely hollowfrom the underside and triangular in shape as ,viewed fromthetop side; apost removably carried at eachcorner of the base to extend normallyupward; a--plurality-of discs, ten being shown in the accompanyingdrawing and description; these discs being so shaped as to nest one withanother to give a minimum height when stacked one over the other, andwhen reversed inposition one ,on top of*the other, togiv'e an increasedheight.- A purpose of-having an increased height from the minimum heightof nesting is to permit easy handling and picking up of the individualdiscs from a stack. The minimum height is desired for storage purposes,since the', invention-involvedis inthe structure in the stacking of theindividual discs in the reduced height condition within the base from.its; 'underside,.'and also the invention provides for the placing of.the pins 'in this space to be held therein under the stacked discs byany simple means, such vasv a.- pin. passing through the discs andengagingwiththe base. I Also there is the purpose involved in thisinvention of making the discs available for ready picking up by placingthem initially on a post at the corner of the base whereby the discsoverhang the base by major areas, at least of the larger diameter discs,no two discs being of ture which may be exceedingly simple in form, and

' which may be reduced from a playing condition to a storage ortransporting 1 position to occupy the minimum amount of space.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent to those versed in the art in the following description of-oneparticular form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in top plan of a structure embodying the invention andset up for playing;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation and partial section;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of a post;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the structure in a disassembled andnested condition;

Fig. 5 is a view on an enlarged scale in section on the line 5--5 inFig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of a securing pin;

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the pin revolved 90 from the position shownin Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a view in bottom plan in reference to Figs. 6 and 7.

A base 10 is formed to be generally triangular in shape, Figs. 1 and 4,and is provided with three vertically disposed holes therethrough, theseholes being indicated by the numerals 11, 12 and 13. The top side 14 ofthe base 10 is' preferably planar in sha e, -and, for playing; 'the base10 carries three posts15, 16, and 17." Each of these posts 15-17 isidentical in shape, and size,

and is formed to havethefshapefasdndicated in Fig. '3, wherein there fis a cylindrical upper-portion 18 having preferably'a rounded upper endnose 19. j The lower end portion 20 has a diameter which will permit itto be received in] any c eer the base holes 12-13 witha rather freesliding fit. "-The penetration of the base end l0 discs as are shown inthe present form'of the invention; The practical minimum amount of timeto complete the game with 10 discs would be right around 20 minutes: Thetime required to complete the game 'is a decided measure of the-skilland-ability of the player. These discs are numbered from 23 through32.Each of these discs is shaped inthe same'manner} but varies one from theother by decreasing diameters ranging from the major'diamet'er'for disc23 to the smallest diameter for disc 32. Furthermore, each of thesediscs is'shaped to have a central planar area 33 from the outerperipheryof which there is a downturned flange 34having an initialcylindrical surface 35 from the lower end of which there isa-frustd-conical surface 36. The inside diameter of one flange35 as''at'the surface 37 is madeto be such that the cylindrical surface of theflange of the next diameter disc will fit freely fingers byengagingI-thatinclined surface; Also it is to be: noted when the discs"23- 32 are stacked in the arrangement shownjinFig. 2, amaximumove'rallheight is obtained, whereas when the discs are stackedasarrariged in Fig? 5, -a minimum overall heightisfob'tained; Also whenthe arrangement is had as shownin Figi 5; there is no tendency for thediscs to slide laterally one over the other.

preferably reinforced by three ribs, 38, 39, and 40 radiating inwardlytoward the center of the base from the corner portions of the base. Eachof these ribs 3840 has an inner sloping surface 41 and the stack ofdiscs 23-32 as nested in Fig. 5 may be received over these surfaces 41and thus be centrally located from the underside of the housing pin, andthe thicknesses of the discs are made to be such that the entire stackwill be received within the vertical thickness of the base.

Centrally located within the underside of the base, Fig. 5, is a boss 42which has that diameter to enter within the surrounding flange of thedisc 32 so that the stack is thereby centered over this boss 42. Thereis a hole 43 entering from the top side 14 of the base 10 and extendingthrough this boss 42. This hole 43 has a frusto-conical surface 44tapering inwardly from the base 14 to a rather sharp shoulder 45, fromwhich shoulder the hole tapers outwardly therefrom so that the shoulder45 is well defined.

The posts 15, 16, and 17 have overall lengths which will permit them tobe placed in the cavity opening from the underside of the base'to havethe posts lie between the respective ribs 38 and 39; 39 and 40; and 40and 38. The corner portions of the base 10 through which the holes 11-13extend have inner faces 46 and 47 extending between the side walls 48and 49, for example, to rib 40 Patented Mar. 20, 1956 The base 10 ishollowed out from its underside and in such shape to permit the posts15-17 to he received therein with the maximum possible length of post.

Each of the discs 2332 has a central hole 50 therethrough, the holebeing of the same diameter in each ofthediscs. V 1 i .A p n, s 6- e eally designated y th numeral 1 h s a a h a 52 f om hich ext nd a cyindric l l g h 53 hi h is at d y m a f. the sl9t54 to define two fingers5,5 and 5, 6 Ihese fi ngers are relieved on opposite sides as at57and58, and their outer ends are bevelled as at 59 and 59 from ashoulder 61 n .2, r sp t e y th hou e 1 an 62 x nding tw r y f t h cbeyon a diamete of e yl n c sor ion h d me s o s o he pin 15. are suchthat the pin maybe entered throughthe holes of. the respective discs,Fig. ,5, entering from the disc 231w! fl w ithro sh e s a k q h v th ers5 and 56 forced past the shoulder 45 to allow the pin shoulders 61 and62 to snap over on the surface 44 and h r by cause th P n 51 to be u e yt d n pos tion so that the discs are maintained within the base 10, an te pi s or posts 1517 ar al o e ne y ex ding under the discs as indicatedin Fi s. 4 and 5. The pin 51 may be readily disengaged from the shoulder45 by pushing relatively downward from the surface 14 on the exposedfingers 55 and 56.

To play the game, all of the discs 2 3--32 are superimposed one. uponthe other, in the order indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 to have the post 15to extend through the holes 50 of the discs. As will be noted, Fig. 1,the major portions of the stacks of discs extend outwardly from onecorner of the base 10. Then the object of thegame is to transfer all ofthe discs from the one post 15 to either the post 16 or 17. Thisoperation may start as follows: Disc 32 to post 17; disc 31 to post 16;disc 32 to post 16; disc 30 to post 17; disc 32 to post 15; disc 31 topost 17; disc 32 to post 17; disc 29 to post 16; disc 32 to post 16;disc 31 to post 15; disc:32 to post 15; disc 30 to post 16; disc 32 topost 17; disc 31 to post 16; disc 32 to post 16; disc 28 to post 17;disc 32 to post 15; disc 31 to post 17; disc 32 to post 17; disc 30 topost 15; disc 32 to post 16; disc 31 to post 15; disc 32 to post 15;disc 29 to post 17; disc 32 to post 17; disc 31 to post 16; disc 32 topost 16; disc 30 to post 17; dis 2 o pos 15; i 1 to post .1 disc 32 topost 17; and disc 27 to post 16.

In like manner, the game may be continued and the moves made inaccordance with the skill of the player to effect the eventual transferof all of the discs in the order of arrangement as the discs are shownin Fig. 2. The sequence of moves may of course be varied, and thepresent invention is not dependent upon the exact sequence employed.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the oneparticular form, it is obvious that structural changes may be employedwithout .departingifrom the spirit of the invention, and I therefore donot desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitationswhich may be imposed by the following claim.

I claim:

In a game structure, a triangular shaped base having an underside cavitydefined by side walls extending downwardly from saidbase; a plurality ofplayingdiscsof uniformly varying diameters from a large to a smalldiameter disc stacked one upon the other in said cavity with thesmallest diameter disc uppermost, each of said discs having a centralhole therethrough; a web entering said cavity from each corner thereof,each of said webs tapering upwardly from a lower edge toward the centerof thecavity by a slope parallel to the slope of the margins of saidstacked discs; at post lying freely in said cavity along each of saidwalls and between adjacent webs; said stack of discs overlying saidposts by largermost diameter discs; said base having a central holetherethrough; and a headed pin abutting by its head the largest diameterdisc, extending upwardly through said stack, and detachably engaging amarginal portion of a'hole adjacentthe face of the base.

References Cited in the tile ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTSWetherill Dec'. 13, 1881 Austria July 25, 1922

